Coronavirus News highlights: Aerosols from Covid-19 infected person can travel in air up to 10 metres, says Centre

India on Thursday reported 2.76 lakh new Covid-19 infections. However, with 3,874 deaths, the country saw the highest single-day toll. ICMR on Wednesday approved a home test kit for Covid-19 that uses Rapid Antigen Testing; it warned against indiscriminate use of the kit and set out guidelines. Meanwhile, The double mutant B.1.617 variant of SARS-CoV2 is further mutating and one of its sub-lineages, the B.1.617.2, reported in India, is more infectious than its parent, a scientist warned.

A total of 13,093 oxygen concentrators, 15,801 oxygen cylinders and nearly 6.1 lakh Remdesivir vials received as global aid have been delivered or dispatched to states and union territories from April 27 to May 19, the Union Health Ministry said on Thursday. (PTI)

Aerosols from Covid-19 infected person can travel in air up to 10 metres: Govt

Nasal droplets fall within 2 metres from aCovid-19 infected person and the aerosols can travel in air up to 10 metres, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser said on Thursday, adding that proper ventilation can decrease the risk of transmission. (PTI)

TheCovid-19 death toll in Jammu and Kashmir rose to 3,422 on Thursday with 67 more fatalities, while 4,169 new cases pushed the infection tally to 2,60,057, officials said. (PTI)

Nearly half of vaccination sites in Delhi for 18-plus likely to be shut from Friday: AAP MLA Atishi

AAP MLA Atishi on Thursday said nearly half of the vaccination sites for the 18-44 age group in Delhi are likely to be shut from Friday as the city has less than a day's stock of Covishield left. (PTI)

HC asks Centre about steps taken to import medicine used for treating 'black fungus' affectingCovid-19 recovered people. (PTI)

Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee writes to PM Modi, requests him to provide 20 lakh doses ofCovid-19 vaccine for inoculation of state, central govt employees. (PTI)

Legendary Indian sprinter Milkha Singh tests positive

Legendary Indian sprinter Milkha Singh has tested positive forCovid-19 and is in isolation at his Chandigarh residence. The 91-year-old, popularly known as Flying Sikh, is asymptomatic and claims to be in "high spirits". (PTI)

Delhi govt to set up dedicated centres for treatment of black fungus cases

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said dedicated centres will be set up for the treatment of black fungus or mucormycosis cases at three city government-run hospitals.

He made the announcement after discussing the rise in black fungus cases with officials and specialists at a meeting. (PTI)

Covid-19: HC asks big hospitals to install PSA oxygen plants, says everyone had bitter experience

The Delhi High Court Thursday asked all the big hospitals here with 100 or more beds to install PSA oxygen plants, saying the bitter experience everyone had due to the acute shortage of medical oxygen, for treating Covid-19 patients, has left a lesson to be learnt.

The high court said it is a high time that at least big hospitals with 100-bedded facilities or more should have their own PSA (Pressure Swing Absorption) plants which should have a capacity of at least two times of their normal requirement as this would go a long way in reducing dependence on outside sources. (PTI)

The Covid-19 crisis a black swan event. Its long term impact on global order and future of Asia is yet to be comprehended,EAM Dr S Jaishankar said during an event

Countries weigh 'mix and match' Covid-19 vaccines

A growing number of countries are looking at switching to different Covid-19 vaccines for second doses than were used for the first amid supply delays and safety concerns that have slowed their vaccination campaigns. Several medical studies to test the efficacy of switching Covid-19 vaccines are underway. (Reuters)

Karnataka receives 180 tonnes of oxygen from Jamshedpur

Karnataka on Thursday received the fifth consignment of Oxygen Express from Jamshedpur carrying 160 tonnes of Liquid Medical Oxygen in eight containers, the South Western Railway said.

"The 5th #OxygenExpress to Karnataka arrived at Whitefield, Bengaluru at 1:55 AM, with 160T LMO in 8 containers from Tatanagar," the SWR tweeted.

With this, the state received 640 metric tonnes of LMO by rail so far. (PTI)

"The last pandemic happened a century ago and its records are not readily available for use. Nobody has the bigger responsibility in this pandemic than district officials. You must maintain records of your efforts, so it can come in handy in the future," PM Modi said.

Field work is more powerful than intellectual debate, that's why you all are most important: PM Modi to district officials

"Make sure to stress to the youth and kids of your districts the importance of reducing Covid-19 cases and contraction. I have complete faith that you all will make your districts Covid-free and help in winning India's fight with Covid-19," PM said during his address.

"We must spread this message to rural India - that everyone needs to keep their village COVID-free.Active cases have started to reduce in India at the moment, but in the last 1.5 yrs, we have experienced that the pandemic will continue even if the spread continues minimally," PM Modi said.

If you inform the people of the villages well in time what they need to do, with clarity, they will implement in religiously. Sometimes, even better than urban areas: PM Modi to district officials

"Looking at new challenges such as the pandemic, we need new solutions as well. Thus, we must share our local experiences and work together as a nation.Several state officials have shared their experiences today as well. It helps in fighting ground situations a lot," PM Modi said while interacting with district officials of the worst-hit states

Uttar Pradesh govt should actively help people in rural areas battling Covid-19: Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party president Mayawati on Thursday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to extend all possible help to the people in rural areas battling coronavirus rather than making mere announcements.

She also expressed concern over the rising Covid-19 death toll in the country and called for making honest efforts to check it. (PTI)

Andamans reports 35 new Covid-19 cases, 3 more deaths

Andaman and Nicobar Islands Covid-19 tally rose to 6,709 as 35 more people tested positive for the infection while three new fatalities pushed the death toll to 95, a health department official said on Thursday.

The union territory now has 229 active Covid-19 cases, the official said.

Twenty-six more people were cured of the disease during the period, taking the total number of recoveries in the archipelago to 6,385. (PTI)

PM Narendra Modi will interact with the DMs and field officials of 10 states including Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal andAndhra Pradesh today. (ANI)

Ladakh reported 134 new Covid-19 cases and one death on Wednesday, taking total cases to 1,589.

Mizoram has reported 192 new positive cases on Wednesday. Thetotal active cases are at 2,143. while thetotal caseload is at 9,444. Total deaths are at 30. (ANI)

Can't slacken in efforts to check Covid-19, says Singapore PM

Singapore cannot afford to slacken in its effort to keep Covid-19 in check as the virus will rear its head in new and unimaginable ways, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said.

The city state is also issuing general correction directions to Facebook, Twitter and SPH Magazines under the Singapore Press Holdings over falsehoods about a "Singapore variant" of Covid-19 under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA). (PTI)

New Zealand's budget boosts benefits, focuses on pandemic recovery

New Zealand on Thursday lifted benefit rates and promised billions of dollars towards addressing long-term challenges in its annual 2021 budgetwhile forecasting a faster economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Massive spending was targeted towards housing, healthcare and infrastructure, while funds were also allocated to addressing child poverty and climate change. (Reuters)

UK increasingly confident Covid-19 vaccines work against Indian variant

Britain is increasingly confident that vaccines work against the coronavirus variant first found in India, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday, with a leading epidemiologist saying it may be spreading less quickly than first feared.

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20 children get Zydus Cadila clinical trial Covid-19 vaccine in Karnataka

Even as children are predicted to be at risk in the possible third wave of Covid-19, a Karnataka trial site for Zydus Cadila’s ZyCoV-D Covid vaccine has successfully vaccinated 20 children as part of the company’s phase 3 efficacy trials.

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ICMR approves Covid-19 home testing kit using rapid antigen testing

The ICMR Wednesday advised against indiscriminate Covid-19 home testing using Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs), saying it should be used only on symptomatic individuals and on the immediate contacts of laboratory-confirmed positive cases.

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We stand with India against Covid fight, German supplies on: Consul General

The city’s over 200 German companies have activated a critical, collaborative effort to combat the pandemic second wave through multiple initiatives linked to oxygen plants, ventilators and beds to boost the Covid care infrastructure here, says German Consul General, Bengaluru, Achim Burkart in an interview with DH.

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A man uses a stick to move a PPE suit lying amidst the remains of suspected Covid-19 coronavirus victims and other fatalities buried in shallow graves which were washed after incandescent rains near a cremation ground on the banks of the Ganges River in Shringaverpur village, around 40 Km from Allahabad. Credit: AFP Photo